Dec. 28, 2012After a dozen years, and over 600 editorials, we still are often asked questions about our Editorial Board.Why do we do editorials? Well KSBW's parent company, Hearst, has offered editorial opinion for over 100 years in newspapers and magazines, and for over 50 years on television. While this has not been a fifty-year tradition here at KSBW, we have published a weekly editorial since 1999.Our station's promise is "coverage you can count on" and we think an element of that promise, and an important responsibility for any leading news organization, is to offer editorial comment: to raise questions; even spark public debate.Editorials are not part of the news, but they are part of our commitment to serve the public.Does the Hearst Corporation tell you what to say? This is always a great question. Our local publishing units across the country each have independent editorial boards. With my having served on four different local editorial boards, over the past 27 years, I can tell you that we have never had any direction from Hearst on subject selection, what position to take, or what to say. In fact, on state-wide issues, our KSBW Editorial Board is sometimes in complete opposition to the editorial position taken by our Hearst sister-newspaper, the Chronicle, just up the road in San Francisco.And without fail we're asked: What is the Editorial Board?Our Editorial Board meets each week to offer potential topics for research and discussion.Our structure is much like that of a newspaper's editorial board. Theresa Wright is our Community Affairs Manager and acts as our Editorial Board's director. Our News Director, Lawton Dodd, also sits on the Board. His role here compares to that of a newspaper editor. And as President and General Manager, my role is similar to a newspaper's publisher.The three of us consider a wide range of subjects, but only offer a station editorial if we reach a consensus on a position. We appreciate your feedback on our editorial response phone line and through our website. From time-to-time we use viewer comments in follow-up editorials.You probably won't always agree with us each week, but we hope we give you something to think about.

Dec. 28, 2012

After a dozen years, and over 600 editorials, we still are often asked questions about our Editorial Board.

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Why do we do editorials? Well KSBW's parent company, Hearst, has offered editorial opinion for over 100 years in newspapers and magazines, and for over 50 years on television. While this has not been a fifty-year tradition here at KSBW, we have published a weekly editorial since 1999.

Our station's promise is "coverage you can count on" and we think an element of that promise, and an important responsibility for any leading news organization, is to offer editorial comment: to raise questions; even spark public debate.

Editorials are not part of the news, but they are part of our commitment to serve the public.

Does the Hearst Corporation tell you what to say? This is always a great question. Our local publishing units across the country each have independent editorial boards. With my having served on four different local editorial boards, over the past 27 years, I can tell you that we have never had any direction from Hearst on subject selection, what position to take, or what to say. In fact, on state-wide issues, our KSBW Editorial Board is sometimes in complete opposition to the editorial position taken by our Hearst sister-newspaper, the Chronicle, just up the road in San Francisco.

And without fail we're asked: What is the Editorial Board?

Our Editorial Board meets each week to offer potential topics for research and discussion.

Our structure is much like that of a newspaper's editorial board. Theresa Wright is our Community Affairs Manager and acts as our Editorial Board's director. Our News Director, Lawton Dodd, also sits on the Board. His role here compares to that of a newspaper editor. And as President and General Manager, my role is similar to a newspaper's publisher.

The three of us consider a wide range of subjects, but only offer a station editorial if we reach a consensus on a position. We appreciate your feedback on our editorial response phone line and through our website. From time-to-time we use viewer comments in follow-up editorials.

You probably won't always agree with us each week, but we hope we give you something to think about.